Unfortunately for LiAngelo Ball, his dreams of playing in the NBA were never fully realized. His older and younger brothers Lonzo and LaMelo have gone onto have successful careers in the own right. But that doesn’t mean that the middle child hasn’t done well for himself.
He found his passion for music seemingly behind the scenes and decided to drop his first official track in January, “Tweaker.” It initially caught buzz after LiAngelo previewed it during a stream with N3on, partially for its meme-worthy chorus.
But it quickly gained a cult-like following and has remained as his most popular song by far. Now, after 10 months of being on the market, it’s officially platinum. Per TMZ, the nostalgic Southern-flavored cut was certified by the RIAA earlier today.
For those who don’t know, platinum status means a record has sold one million units in the U.S.
For now, it’s his only record to receive any sort of plaque. Many doubted this would actually lead to a stable career in music. But you have to give the former basketball prospect his proper credit for pivoting and finding his niche.
LiAngelo Ball’s Music Career
It’s worth $13 million in fact, with $8 million of it completely guaranteed. On top of making him a more than livable income, the song has taken him to some incredible places. A Lions playoff game, NBA All Star Weekend, Rolling Loud, and a spot on the XXL Freshman list are a few.
“Tweaker” eventually became the lead single for his debut album, League of My Own, which landed in July. That project would go on to house other splashy tracks like “Law N Order” and “Can You Please” with GloRilla.
Shockingly, “Tweaker” puts GELO in rare air. For 2025, only a handful of hip-hop and R&B artists have platinum-certified singles. That list includes himself, Mariah the Scientist, BigXthaPlug, Lil Tecca, and Drake(!).
